Mythical Delight
by llamaglamasama
Summary: Conan endures many internal hormonal battles as he associates with Ran, Kaito, and Ai. But what happens when Conan finds a whole new type of lust present...a lust for blood.
1. Chapter 1

**An AU of an AU: Do not need to read original to understand storyline.**

**The original AU ended up not liking being written so this one prevailed. I'll try to get the original up…eventually.**

--

Kaitou Kid soared through the night sky contentedly. The heist had been fun, what with Tantei-kun chasing him and everything. Speaking of Tantei-kun, wasn't that his 'sister' screaming down there?

He descended cautiously and dropped into a tree near the Mouri-tantei Agency. Three police officers were gathered round a distraught Mouri-chan. One of the officers, he vaguely remembered his name to be Shiratori from Division 1, placed a calming hand on Mouri-chan's shoulder. "I'm sure Conan-kun will be fine, Ran-san." He assured. Well, of course he would. Why wouldn't he?

"B-but… he's never done this before. What if he's hurt? I know Conan-kun would never worry us intentionally by not coming home!" Ran's sobbing was interrupted by a loud thump as Kid fell out of the tree. "K-Kid?" She gasped. The officers just gaped, their jaws somewhere around their shoes.

"What?" Kid demanded. "Tantei-kun didn't come home?"

Ran stared at him in shock. "No, but…why would you care?" She asked, suspiciously.

Kid pouted as much as his reputation would allow. "Believe it or not, Ojou-san, I _do_ care about my rival's well-being. Besides, Tantei-kun really _could_ be hurt, not that he can't take care of himself. If I find him, Ojou-san, I shall let you know – in a way that won't risk myself, of course – and put your worries to rest." He activated the glider again and cleared his throat. "By the way, my dear officers, the jaw to the floor look really doesn't become the fearsome Division One." With a laugh, he launched himself into the sky.

Shiratori grumbled. "How'd he know we were from Division 1, anyway?" He muttered.

--

Kid soared through the sky once more, much less content this time. Where on earth could Tantei-kun be?

His search continued for another hour at least before he landed in a poorer part of town to rest his 'wings'. Really, Tantei-kun could be such a bloody pain in the ass. Almost as much as Hakuba, from whom he was adopting British swear words. He glanced around as he touched down, thankful for his night vision. Was that really a person curled up in that hole? What a painful way to sleep. Kid crept closer, curious, and nearly cried out for what he saw. His Tantei-kun, dear little Tantei-kun, was coiled in a bloody mess, occasionally whimpering in pain. He leaned forward to inspect the boy's injuries and was rewarded to the sight of rather larger, very pointy fangs. "Oh dear," He murmured in shock.

He cautiously laid a hand on the detective's shoulder and was rewarded with an armful of growling detective. Tantei-kun was snarling in a very threatening way, but at the same time, he clung to Kid, to any comfort the heat source could provide. Jeez, talk about contrary. He slowly raised his hand – the one that wasn't wrapped around the detective – to eyelevel and presented it to the confused tantei. "Will you come with me?" He asked in a calm voice. "I can help you, if you'll let me." He offered the hand to Conan again and this time he reached up and grabbed it tightly, fingers curling around his own with a bone-crushing strength. "Come on." Kid whispered soothingly. "Let's get you somewhere safe." He gathered the detective in his arms, holding him securely to his chest, and opened his hang glider again. No one paid any attention to the white bird gliding over the town.

He landed on the roof of a building in downtown Tokyo and deactivated the white wings. During the ride, Tantei-kun had curled up closely into his body, seeking comfort in the warmth, he supposed. Kid smiled and reached down with the arm he'd used to pilot the glider, taping a hidden panel. It slid back to reveal a keypad in which he quickly typed four digits. The door on the roof unlatched and a hooded figure opened it, beckoning Kid inside. "Odd time to call for a visit, Master Kaito."

"This _is_ supposed to be an inn." Kid grumbled back. "Is Shizuka in?" He asked.

The figure nodded, responding in a deep, masculine voice. "She's at the bar." Kid bobbed his head in thanks and breezed past the figure. The stairs going up to the roof lead to a cozy room, sparkly silver walls adorned with crystals and strange artifacts. He passed through the room quickly, pushing open a swinging door on the left side of it. The bar was small, but the size had nothing to do with the number of occupants, all of whom paid no attention to the wanted criminal walking among them. They were quite strange, too, many of them talking in bizarre languages and wearing horns or tails. Heck, there were even a couple dozen with _fur_. Kid scanned the room, looking for a certain person, a grin lighting his face at the sight of bright red hair headed his way.

"Carrying an extra package, Kid-san?" Her melodic voice flowed smoothly between them, regardless of the noise in the room.

"I'm looking for Shizuka." Kid replied, glaring slightly. "Tantei-kun needs a little…help."

"Oh? I believe I saw her at the counter." Koizumi Akako looked down at the boy bundled in Kid's arms. "You might want to clean him up first. That's an awful lot of blood for her to deal with."

"She won't like this one's." He stated shortly. "Thank you for your assistance, Madame Sorceress."

He squeezed through the crowd, pulling Conan tighter to his body, protectively. He reached the counter and approached a beautiful woman wearing a dark green veil over her emerald high-collar dress. She turned her head to him in confusion, eyes immediately settling on the boy. Her porcelain skin flushed red at the sight of him. "That boy…" She whispered, her quiet voice mixing beautifully with the English accent she used.

"He was bitten." Kid muttered, dropping onto the stool beside her. "I don't know what happened, I just found him recently."

"A newborn, then. He'll be quite hungry when he comes to."

"He's awake now." Kid said, confusion leaking into his tone.

"Awake, perhaps, but not all here." She sighed softly. "It's been awhile since we've encountered a newborn. Let us leave this room. There is too much fresh blood here for him." She rose and led him out, back to the silvery room. She approached the counter that the cloaked figure from before stood. "We'll need a secure room to talk in, Arnold." She addressed the man.

He bowed. "Of course, Miss Shizuka." He handed her an old key and led them down a hallway. The entire building seemed to be fashioned in a very old style, English perhaps, or German. "Here you are, Miss Shizuka, Master Kaito."

"Alright, Kaito, lay him on the bed, please. We want to be careful with his wounds."

He complied, laying the small child on the satin sheets. "Kid, if you please. This boy happens to be a detective after me."

"And you saved him? How very odd you are, Kid-san." She said in a velvety voice.

"Yes, well…oh, he's coming to." He leaned over the detective, biting down a gasp when deep scarlet eyes blinked up lazily at him.

Conan slowly opened his eyes, confused by the pounding in his head, the pain coursing through his body, and the strange _lust_ building up inside him. His vision settled onto Kid and he lunged forward.

Kid let out a shout, thinking the detective was trying to capture him, but Conan bypassed his hands and clamped his mouth down on Kid's throat. Kid jerked at the piercing sting and felt a warm liquid trailing down his neck. "Wha-?"

"No!" Shizuka grabbed Conan, pulling him away from the thief and barked, "Clean the wound, quickly! A newborn's venom isn't controlled, if you don't get it out of your system, it'll change you!" Kaito yelped and flew into the bathroom, turning the faucet on and rinsing a cloth under it before holding it to his neck. He glanced at the mirror and frowned. Now why was he blushing? No, it must simply be the shock, making him flush like that.

"Do I just rinse the wound?" He asked, his voice shaking slightly. Not good, he'd have to take care of that.

"Yes. I don't think he got a chance to release much venom, so that should be fine." Shizuka's voice floated in from the bedroom.

"Alright." He walked back out, holding the cloth to his neck.

Conan watched him closely, his eyes more of a bright mahogany now. He slowly licked the crimson droplets from his lips, eyes never straying from Kid.

"Uh…Shizuka? Why's he all…predator-ish?" Kid asked, browsing his mind for a better word and trying to ignore the bubbling nervousness in the pit of his stomach. Tantei-kun kept _staring _at him!

"He's operating on instinct, now. He's probably terrified, his last clear memories being of his changing. It's not easy, you know, experiencing the transformation."

"Ah. Now, uh…will someone explain a few things?"

Shizuka smiled. "I'll attempt to wake him fully." She released Conan's wrists with one hand and raised it over his eyes. "Awake, my child. Join us as who you are, not what your instincts tell you you are." She released his face and he blinked drowsily.

"Wha-where am I? What happened?" He whispered, his voice cracking. "My neck…" He trailed off, wincing in pain.

"Relax, Child," Shizuka said in a soothing voice, "Can you tell us what you remember?"

"I-" His eyes lit on Kid again. "Kid…what-?"

"We're friends, Child, we want to help you. Please, tell us what you can remember."

He swallowed. "Heist…he got away…followed…lost him at a…got lost…pain…"

"Can he speak coherently?" Kid asked, teething his lower lip.

"Give him a minute."

"Someone there…in the shadows…felt…**evil**…pain…then, neck…like poison…it hurts…" Conan broke down, sobbing, rubbing his fists over his eyes defiantly.

"Shh..." Shizuka hugged the boy, pulling him close. "It's alright, Child. We'll help you, I promise. You'll understand soon."

Conan's sobs subsided, the detective in him eager for information. "What happened?" He croaked.

"You were bitten, honey, by a vampire. I know it sounds strange, but it's true, I promise you. Vampires come from all over, some birthed by other vampires, some changed, like you were. And all of them, every single one, with a lust for blood that can't be ignored." Conan let out a strangled gasp, hand fisting in her green dress. "Don't worry, Child. One doesn't have to kill to feed. You'll learn how to control the venom to keep from killing your meals."

"Venom?" His voice was muffled by her clothing, but he didn't move, head still buried in her chest.

"To change humans into vampires. We all have it, but we have to learn to control it."

"Like a scorpion, measuring how much venom to subdue its prey?" Kid questioned from where he was propped against the wall.

"Yes, quite similar." She nodded over Conan's shoulder. "We can teach you, Child, all of us here at the inn."

"Inn?"

"Where we are." Kid explained. "We can tell you more later, but basically, it's a gathering place for non-humans."

"Non-? Then you're…"

"Not human? Yes." Kid cleared his throat. "I think you're the one we need to worry about right now."

Conan made a sound in his throat, an agreement, he assumed. "You're a vampire, then?" He asked Shizuka.

"Yes, a Dhampir. I was born from a human mother and a vampire father. You might be interested to know that I'm also 347 years old." Kid choked. "Yes," She smiled at him. "Vampire's aren't immortal, but we age very slowly."

Conan groaned. "Great." He muttered, "Like I wasn't already too young."

"Oh no." She smiled. "Your aging will be human-like until you are full grown."

"Really?"

"Yes. Aging is a bit different for former humans, see? You still have your human DNA, including the genes that affect your aging. The vampirism control on age doesn't happen until about 20 in human years."

"Oh." Conan tried making sense of all the stories spinning around his head, but control was quickly slipping away.

"Let's get you settled." Kid offered. "I told Mouri-chan I'd let her know if I found you. I'll take care of that. Don't worry," He said to Conan's suddenly frantic look. "You can stay here, probably best that you do so anyway. I just need to let her know you're alright." Conan nodded, yawning, fangs almost cutting his bottom lip in the process.

"You'll learn how to retract those, too." Shizuka murmured.

--

Kid grinned as he unlatched the window. You'd think a detective would have his friends get better security. A click made him freeze.

"What do you want, Kaitou Kid?" A cold voice asked.

Kid raised his arms slowly, a small smile on his face. "And here I was just thinking of the poor quality security system. I suppose with you around, you don't need alarms, eh, Ojou-chan?"

The gun cocked. "What do you want?" She demanded.

"Nothing much. As a matter of fact, I'm here more as a favor than out of need."

"_Kid._" Her voice was very threatening.

"I thought you might be interested to know that Tantei-kun is safe, although he does need an alibi for the night. I was under the impression that his scientist friends provided him one in times of need."

The small girl holding the gun froze. "And you know this, how?"

"I have my sources." He grinned.

Haibara Ai glared. "_Fine_." Her voice dripped with icicles. "I'll have the Professor call Mouri-chan. But Kid," He looked into her cold eyes, "If he's hurt, there _will_ be hell to pay."

"Yes ma'am." Kid saluted and vanished.

'Jeez, kids these days…" Kid thought grudgingly, laying a hand over his rapidly beating heart.

--

Kid ducked back into the bar, ordering a shot of brandy. The barkeep passed him the glass in exchange for three gold pieces, regardless of his young age and the law. Kid smiled. "Thanks, Risan. I needed this after today." He gulped the shot in one go and the barman filled it again.

"Tough day? It always is for our kinds." The man wore purple robes that flowed down to his ankles, but the shorter sleeves didn't conceal the scales trailing up his arms. His green skin was slightly translucent in the dim bar, but no one seemed to mind, or indeed even notice as most of the occupants had similar afflictions. Many a person had fur or scales, some without even a human-like form, slithering or flying through the air.

"Yeah. 'Found a newborn vampire, one of my rivals."

"Poor sod." The barkeep shrugged, indifferent, "He'll get used to it, though. However, that does explain why you went looking for our resident vampire expert. Many of us were wondering about that…and the bloody form in your arms."

"A 'child'." Kid said. "Or at least a semblance of one." He sighed and set down the glass. "Thanks for the drink, Risan. I'll be on my way."

The green-scaled man nodded to him, already cleaning the shot glass. "Good evening to you, then, Master Kaito."

"Hnn." Kid wormed his way through the crowd, heading back to the room his detective was in.

"Who is it?" A flowing female voice asked when he knocked.

"Kid." The door opened and Shizuka smiled at him. "Where's Tantei-kun?"

"Sleeping in the bed. I was just going to grab a towel for him; dried blood is such a pain to deal with."

"Ah. I'll get it." He ducked into the bathroom. "Oh great," He said, looking in the mirror. "Now I'll have to find the right shade of foundation to cover up the bite mark."

"You'll have to do that for a long time to come; bite marks never go away." Shizuka sighed. "You see, every meal, every snack, they'll all have the evidence on them for the rest of their lives."

"Won't that be a problem?"

"Well, most newborns choose a single person to feed from, but obvious complications arise from that."

"Like?"

"Like leaving the human with enough blood to live. Plus, the human will always need to be there when the newborn needs blood. After experience, the newborn will learn to be discreet, but until then…"

"Oh…and it needs to be a human?"

"Well, no, just a non-vamp, really, but… 'human' is an easier term to say than 'all creatures other than vampires and their descendants', wouldn't you agree?" Kid smiled wryly and nodded.

--

Blinking sleepily, Conan propped himself on his elbows and looked around. He was in a small room, a standard inn room, containing two beds, one of which he was currently residing in. The other was still made, sapphire sheets folded nicely over the mattress. Kaitou Kid was lounging on top of the bed, not leaving even a single wrinkle on the sheets, like a phantom that would vanish under his gaze.

"It-" His throat was dry and hoarse, so he swallowed slowly, willing the pain away, "It wasn't a dream, then?"

Kid looked at him with sad eyes. "No, Tantei-kun, I'm afraid it wasn't."

"Oh." Conan sighed, rubbing his eyes. His glasses were missing; he'd probably dropped them in the alley where he'd been bitten. "Isn't it late?" He questioned. Kid bobbed his head in answer. "Er, don't you have somewhere you need to go, then?"

"Nope. My mother is on a trip in India, so it's not like anyone's waiting for me there." Kid's voice was indifferent, but it was different than the usual monotone he used with the police.

"Is that your real voice?"

Kid smiled. "Maybe," He said simply.

Conan pouted. 'Stupid thief,' He grumbled internally. "So…you said something about telling me more about this place…"

Kid grinned. "Curious, are ya?" He chuckled, "Well, I suppose I can oblige. What do you want to know?"

Conan paused. "Would it seem childish to say 'everything'?" He grinned at Kid's amusement.

Kid watched as the fangs protruded from the child's mouth again. "Well, I'm no expert, particularly when it comes to that vamp stuff, but I _can_ tell you about the inn, now that you qualify as a welcome guest." He cleared his throat. "In about…the 1500's? Somewhere around there, anyway, a group of 'outlaws' were running through Japan, doing what most outlaws do; try to escape the law-upholders. These guys – well, there were girls among them, too, but you get the point – were outlaws for a very simple reason: they weren't human. In those days, anyone that was different was **bad**, so they were right there among the 'bad guys.' Anyway, they ran through Tokyo before they were ambushed. In need of a place to hide, they ducked into a rickety, old building. They didn't see anyone, probably lucky, cuz I think one of 'em was a vamp and there wasn't time for snacks on the road, and hid in the basement.

"Later, the police of that time had long since gone, but the group needed somewhere to rest and recuperate, so they used the place they had, right up until the owners came home and found a group of monsters in their basement. We don't know the details from then, but apparently, the owners allowed the group to stay, hidden safely among them as humans. You see, all of us creatures have the ability to assume complete human form, sort of a defensive mechanism, if you will, so it was quite easy for them to do once the police were off their tails – not the literal ones, of course. That'd be rather painful."

"Is this going somewhere?" Conan questioned.

Kid glared. "_Anyway_, once the owners died, they kept the building and used it as a safe haven for other unfortunates. It eventually got turned into an inn/bar and was named _Mythical Delight_. Interesting name, no?"

Conan smiled half-heartedly. "I guess. So… there's lots of non-humans around here?"

"Oh yeah, _tons_. Not all of 'em live here, though, too small, but many of them visit on a regular basis."

"Wow. This is a lot to take in…" Conan muttered, burying his face in his hands.

Kid smiled. "Yes, it _is_ a lot, I suppose. I was raised on this stuff, so it's not so strange for me, but for someone who lived in a whole other world…"

Conan sighed. "I'm going back to sleep." He flopped down and pulled the covers over his head, trying not to think. Was he really supposed to believe in all this? But how could he not, with what happened to him? There was no other explanation…right?

--

"Relax, my Child, relax." Shizuka's lilting voice called out to the young boy. "You need not try so hard. This is natural, it will come to you with time."

Conan grumbled from where he sat cross-legged on the grass. Shizuka had come to him at twilight and brought him to this rural park to practice controlling his fangs and venom. "Why'd we have to come all the way here, anyway?"

"Oh, I simply love the moonlight and this park has the best view." She brushed aside his foul mood easily.

"You like the view? Then its not that sunlight hurts us or anything."

"Oh, my dear, it's nothing so coarse as that. Sunlight isn't harmful to us, but we do burn something dreadful."

Conan blinked. "We do?"

"Yes. It's the pale skin, you see. Instead of tanning, it burns. But really, it's nothing like those old myths say."

"Oh. Good," He smiled.

She allowed herself a grin before clapping her hands. "Alright, Child, back to work. We need you to get this under control as quickly as possible if you're to live among humans once more." He nodded and his face twisted into a mask of concentration.

--

The next morning, Kaito was strolling through the hallways of his esteemed school, dodging a particularly well-aimed mop from time to time. While doing so, he was contemplating certain new events in his life. Having Tantei-kun as a vampire and now a welcomed member of_ Mythical Delight_ put a very risky factor on his occupation as a phantom thief. Tantei-kun was an exceedingly intelligent person and it wouldn't take much for him to connect Kid with his real identity. Being so new to the ranks of mythology, Tantei-kun wouldn't put as much hold on old traditions such as secrecy and loyalty to fellow members, which could easily place him in a very uncomfortable position. _Especially_ when many of the current thoughts floating through his head weren't exactly innocent.

_Soft lips clamping down on his throat, directly above the pulse point, sharp fangs dipping into the flesh, wet tongue lapping up the blood flowing down his neck – _

Kaito shook his head, trying to clear the memories from his mind when a mop collided solidly against his side, forcing him to double over in pain.

"Kaito!" Aoko screeched in terror, watching as he crumpled to the floor. "Ohmygod, ohmygod, Kaito!" She shook his shoulder violently, stopping only when he let out a hiss of pain.

"Let's get him to the infirmary, Nakamori-chan." Hakuba offered. Aoko nodded and helped the blonde drag him to a standing position, wrapping an arm around his waist for support. Together, they hauled him down the hall and into the infirmary, informing the nurse of the situation. As Hakuba laid the brunette onto a white bed, he noticed an odd mark on his neck. Raising an eyebrow, he dismissed it as none of his business. After all, it wasn't likely that that mark would prove him to be Kid.

When Kaito woke up, about a half hour later, the first thing he noticed was a red blur sitting on the edge of his bed. He blinked a few times and the fuzziness cleared, revealing Koizumi Akako as the room's only other occupant.

"'Ello," He mumbled.

"Good Morning." She said, somewhat coldly.

"What's up?" He asked, confused at her attitude.

"Hakuba is already suspecting something. You're not being careful enough." She scolded. Her eyes focused on his neck and settled into a glare.

"Ah, well, I'll just have to watch my step." He nodded slightly, still confused, but content to let the issue drop. She bobbed her head, glare fading slightly and departed.

--

Conan resisted the urge to yawn widely and sighed. Shizuka had deemed him controlled enough to go to school, but he was still worried over the hunger he could feel building inside of him. Right now, what he really wanted was some more of that delicious red flowing down the pale skin. The figure was hidden in the dark bedroom, but the _taste_…

Conan sighed again. He still didn't get it. Shizuka had told him that his thirst for blood would always accompany him, but that didn't explain his strong reaction to Kid. Sure, he'd been hungry, but he hadn't wanted to stop, ever, even if the thirst was quenched. He couldn't explain it and he wasn't about to ask anyone about it, but… none of these other scents, wavering around the room, twisting from the room's air conditioning, none of them were as appealing as Kid's, as _desirable_ as his…

"Kudo-kun, the bell rang." Ai's cold voice reached him, breaking him free of his contemplation.

"Ah, I'm coming." He pulled himself up and trudged after the kids, marveling at all the different flavors floating around.

"What happened?" Ai asked, walking next to him.

"Eh?"

"Yesterday. Kid stopped by Hakase's and asked us to provide you an alibi for Mouri-chan. Why? What happened to you that Kid would cover for?"

"Oh, uh…nothing?"

She gave him a flat stare. "You're terrible at lying, Kudo-kun."

He sweatdropped. "…really?"

"What happened Kudo-kun?" She demanded.

"Well…I got caught up in a case. Kid was involved and, well, I guess he decided to help me. After all, I ran into the trouble chasing after him."

Haibara's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Really?"

Conan gulped. It was a very weird sensation he was experiencing, the awareness of actually_ seeing_ the blood rushing through her veins as she glared at him. "Y-yeah, really."

She stared him down for another moment before she turned and left him staring after her. He blinked, watching her catch up with the other kids. With a sigh, he stumbled into the men's room and leaned against the counter, breathing in short, gasping breaths. How weird. He'd never reacted to an argument with Ai like that before. He felt weak, like he was missing something…why? Was it because of his new…status? Because he'd been bitten by that stranger in the alleyway? Speaking of which, he should probably go by there and see if he could find his glasses. These replicas that Kid had conjured up were handy, but they didn't have any of Agasa's improvements, for obvious reasons.

He glanced up at the mirror and gasped. Red…dark red irises…why were his eyes red!? They were blue before! "Ugh." Conan groaned. "All this vampire crap is _so _annoying."

--

Kaito sighed dramatically. He'd just dropped Aoko off at home and was headed back home. He'd never gotten a chance to drop off his heist from last night, what with the whole deal concerning Tantei-kun…

'Tantei-kun…' He thought with a tinge of worry. The poor guy had been through a lot last night…and then to go to some kiddy school today…must've been a pain.

Kaito shook his head. 'Why am I worried about him, anyway? He's a threat to me now…a detective that can find my identity but not bound by the loyalty of the non-humans. It would be in my best interest to just stay away from him…'

_Soft, silky lips sucking gently on his skin, drawing out the blood; A wet tongue lapping at his neck, chasing the red trails; Deep red eyes that tracked his every move, causing a shiver to run up his spine; More, more, more…that was all he could think of…even the shock hadn't stopped him from thinking it in the back of his mind…_

'Yeah, definitely better to stay away from him…' Kaito thought with a nervous gulp. And maybe if he kept telling himself that, he wouldn't want to go check on him.

--

Conan probably could have used checking up on. After a day full of kiddy knowledge and strong smells, he'd had about all he could take of school. He wanted out. _Now_. But there was no way he could get out, especially not with Haibara casting that suspicious look at him constantly. Luckily there was only half an hour left of class, but the kids were murmuring about going to the park and playing some ball. Conan was not looking forward to it. For some reason, he felt totally exhausted. Maybe it had something to do with his new non-human status? Aftereffects from changing?

Whatever it was, it was making this day a lot harder to deal with. And there Ai went, shooting another look at him as the bell rang and he trudged towards the door.

"Conan-kun?" Ayumi-chan piped up, looking at him in concern when he declined their offer to play ball. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Ayumi-chan, just tired. I didn't get a lot of sleep." Any that he'd gotten had been plagued with nightmares anyway.

"Well, I just – " She was cut of by a scream from across the park. On instinct, Conan ran towards the sound, followed closely by the three detective boys and one not so hurried scientist.

As they got closer to the scene, Conan could see people gathered around a body. "Call the police!" Conan shouted, speeding closer. The kids yelled an affirmation and stopped by a phone to quickly do so.

Conan continued towards the body when a strange scent overtook his nose. It was odd…the slightest bit familiar, but the familiarity was more of a background scent. The core of the scent he couldn't recognize. All he knew was that suddenly all thoughts of the case fled his mind. All he wanted to do was consume that smell, surround himself with it.

Haibara's eyes narrowed in confusion when she noticed Kudo pick up speed, running almost inhumanly fast towards the crime scene. Someone shouted and then, suddenly, he just stopped dead.

Conan froze as a sound broke him out of his daze, a look of disgust coming over his face. What in hell was he doing!? He wanted to…he wanted to drink the dead person's blood! How could he – what sort of terrible person was he to want to do something like that!? It was just horrible!

Ai approached him, shaking his arm, but he didn't say anything. The kids ran up, telling them the police were on the way, but he still didn't respond, just turned whiter and paler than he was before.

He was a disgusting creature, that's what he was. He wanted to do something as _gross_ as drink the blood from the ground – from the goddamn street! He couldn't believe it. What was this thirst doing to him!?

--

Division One investigators arrived, many of them groaning at the sight of Conan and his little group of friends. A few, however, took notice of the fact that he was standing quite far from the body and that the other kids weren't running all around the scene. Instead, they were crowding around Conan, all wearing looks of concern.

While the officers took care of the body and Megure-keibu assigned Shiratori to questioning the witnesses, Takagi stole away from the crowd of uniform and approached the kids.

"Ayumi-chan?" He called softly. "Genta-kun? Mitsuhiko-kun? Is something wrong? Conan-kun?"

Ayumi turned to him with tears in her eyes. "He – Conan-kun, he told us to call the police when we saw the body from afar, but when we got back, he just…he won't answer! He won't even move!"

Mitsuhiko attempted to comfort the girl while Ai took over the story. "I was headed this way a distance behind him, but Edogawa-kun suddenly sped up and then stopped dead with no warning."

Takagi frowned, hearing this explanation. There was something bugging him, aside from the boy's odd behavior. There was something _different_ about him, a different feel to the air around him. And…disgust. Takagi could feel a heavy cloud of disgust hanging around Conan. At what? Sure, a body was pretty gruesome and if it were any other kid, Takagi would leave it at that, but not Conan-kun. Conan-kun had crawled around bodies that made some of the senior officers nauseous without batting an eye. So what was different now?

He knelt down in front of the boy, gently shaking his shoulders. "Conan-kun? What's wrong? Is there something bad troubling you?"

The kids looked at him weird for his last question, but Wataru ignored it. His concern right now was Conan-kun.

Conan still didn't respond, only stared at him with blank red eyes. Wait, weren't his eyes blue before? He tried again. "Is there something gross here?" Conan did react to that, if only through the look of confusion that crossed his face. "What's so disgusting, Conan-kun?" He whispered.

Conan stared. He slowly opened his mouth, but immediately closed it again, clamping a hand over his nose and mouth, but not before Takagi noticed something strange.

Conan-kun had fangs. And that was not just a trick of the light.

"Oi! Takagi-kun, get over here! We have work to do!" Megure shouted at him. Takagi nodded to him and turned back to Conan.

"Listen, why don't I get you something to eat after this, okay? Will that make you feel better? They serve really good food at a place near here, _Mythical Delight_. I think some of it might help you."

Conan jerked at the name and his eyes widened, but Takagi had time to say no more.

--

The case took longer than it usually did to solve when Conan was on the scene, but part of that may have been that Conan wasn't actively participating in this investigation, just standing to the side, watching someone closely.

"Oi." A soft voice said next to him. Conan tilted his head towards her in acknowledgement, but didn't turn away from the object of his attention. "What's going on? This isn't like you, Kudo. You never flake out on a murder investigation."

"I'm fine." He deadpanned, very unconvincingly. "I've just been feeling weird today."

All said, Haibara Ai was not satisfied with that, but after ten more minutes of prodding, she realized it was a lost cause. Kudo was not going to say anymore. Shaking her head, she gathered the Shonen Tantei together and started them home.

"What about Conan-kun?" Ayumi asked, glancing over her shoulder as the perpetrator was carried off.

"You heard Takagi-keiji earlier. He's taking Edogawa-kun out for some food." Ai said. "Let's get home."

"'Kay." Ayumi nodded. It sounded strange that the police officer would take Conan out for food, but Conan was always close to the police, and if Ai-chan said it, it had to be true. After all, she trusted Ai-chan almost more than she trusted Conan-kun.

"Conan-kun?" Takagi said, coming up behind him. "You ready to get some food?"

Conan nodded, eyes completely focused on the police detective. Takagi smiled and motioned for Conan to walk with him. "It's pretty close to here and parking is hard to find, so we may as well walk."

"Why are you taking me there?" Conan questioned suspiciously.

Takagi shrugged. "You're acting strange, any one can see that, Conan-kun."

"So your solution is food?"

Takagi was silent for a long while. "You have fangs…"

Conan traced his canines with his tongue. "So I do."

Takagi sighed. Why was this kid so difficult? "There was recognition when I said the name of the place…you've been to _Mythical Delight_ already, haven't you?"

"What's it to you?" Conan asked defensively.

Takagi sighed again and glanced around him. "Look, I'm a regular at Mythical Delight." Conan's eyes narrowed. A regular? Meaning he attended regularly…but why would he? "I'm an empath."


	2. Chapter 2

"An empath? What – how many freaking supernatural types are there?" Conan asked incredulously.

Takagi shrugged. "Actually, I'm not sure. One of the older regulars at _Mythical Delight_ would know better than I would. Or at least someone who keeps up with our information system."

They stopped in front of the old, rundown building that gave no hint of what was held inside. Takagi stepped forward and opened the door. In the entryway, a hooded figure behind the single mahogany desk nodded to them in greeting. "Master Wataru, Master Shinichi."

Conan froze. What? How could this guy know!? Beside him, Takagi looked down in surprise. He could feel the shock and horror oozing from the boy.

"Shinichi? As in Kudo Shinichi?" He nodded to himself, "Well, that makes sense. No wonder you're so good at solving crimes." Conan just blankly stared at him. "Don't worry." Takagi smiled. "We have an oath of unity we observe here. Any secret of yours will stay yours. Sub Rosa and all that." Slowly, Conan nodded.

Through all of that, the innkeeper hadn't made a single move.

"Ah – um, you mentioned an information system?" Conan asked, changing the subject.

Takagi nodded and led him through the side door and into the bar, ignoring Conan's constant over-the-shoulder glances. "Yeah, we use a magazine that's published worldwide specifically for the non-human folk."

Conan's eyebrows rose. "Published worldwide? Where from?"

"Um, Atlantis, I believe." Conan gave him a flat stare. "No, seriously. Atlantis is a city completely submerged in the Western Atlantic Ocean. It's home to all sorts of mythical creatures, though I think it's mostly the purebloods. Kind of like a royal city, you know?"

"It's a myth." Shinichi stated incredulously.

"So are vampires." Takagi stated blandly. "That is, at least, what I'm assuming you are. True, other species have fangs, but there's a lingering lust around you, one most species don't have. Well, unless you count the Naga lust for water, but I think that's a little different."

"Naga…"

"Half human, half sea serpent." Takagi smiled slightly.

"Showing the boy the ropes, Takagi-kun?" A female voice said from behind them. Shinichi jumped, not having noticed anyone approached and turned to see a beautiful woman with long reddish hair.

"Ah, Koizumi-chan. You've met?"

"Not really." Akako shrugged. "I ran into Kid-san when he brought the boy here in the first place. But I must say, this child's aura is interesting. I believe I've seen it before, inside my crystal ball." Conan looked decidedly skeptical and she smiled. "I am Koizumi Akako. Pleasure to meet you, little bloodsucker."

He wasn't sure if he should take offense at the name or not. On the one hand, it sounded bad; on the other, she didn't _sound _malicious. "Kudo Shinichi." He murmured without thinking. However, she didn't seem surprised by the news. How the hell did these people all seem to know!? "What – er…what are you?"

Akako giggled. "Why, I'm a witch, of course. What did you think I was?"

Conan looked stricken. _Witch_? He mouthed. There were witches? Seriously?

"Are we messing with the detective's head already?" A smooth voice behind him asked teasingly.

Conan jerked and spun around to find the Kaitou Kid standing there, dressed in full regalia. Why were people keep sneaking up on him!? And why couldn't he sense them? If it had something to do with him being a vampire, shouldn't his senses have sharpened rather than dimmed? After all, he should be able to smell their blood or something, shouldn't he? He certainly could now and had to stop himself from swooning at the overpowering scent of the man behind him. Why on earth was Kid's blood so _appealing_!?

"He's interested in learning about all the different types of non-human creatures." Takagi said, nodding his head in greeting.

"Really? You know, I think I have a back issue of _Majestic Insight_ here somewhere that had a list." He began digging through his pockets.

"_Majestic Insight_?" Conan asked quietly, watching Kid. He was starting to feel a little nauseous. Why?

"It's the title of the magazine I was telling you about." Takagi answered.

"Here it is!" Kid exclaimed, producing the publication with a flourish. He flipped through it quickly until he found the page he was looking for, presenting the article to Conan. "Now, seeing as we're clogging up the doorway here, I'm going to go get drinks. Anyone want anything?"

Akako and Wataru murmured their orders while Conan glanced over the magazine. It was a very simple packet, nothing on the cover suggesting its contents…not that he knew what those were yet. He looked back at the page Kid had opened to.

"Let's grab a table." Takagi recommended, a hand on the small of Conan's back, guiding him.

The sat at a small circular table towards the back of the establishment and Takagi bent over Conan. "You okay? You responded…strangely when Kid-kun arrived."

Conan swallowed. "He, uh…wait, '_Kid-kun_'!? Shouldn't you be arresting him?"

"No." Takagi shrugged simply. "I work in Division One, theft isn't any of my business. Besides…" Takagi trailed off, blushing.

"What?"

"My g-girlfriend idolizes Kid. No way I'd catch him." His face was bright red with that admission and Conan smirked.

"You finally asked Satou-keiji on a date?" He teased, amused as the blood rushed to the officer's face. It was a little disturbing how he could see the blood pulsing and…well, he wasn't going to think about it. He was determined not to like human blood, not with the way he'd reacted to the crime scene. He wouldn't stand to be a monster that was aroused by the blood of a murder victim.

He shook his head lightly and began to read the article.

_It should be known that all non-human creatures have the ability coded into their DNA to assume a human form, if their own form is not already similar to that of a human's as it is. However, many people simply don't realize, or perhaps don't remember, that more than a hundred types of species exist on this earth. The ones of notice are generally the only ones remembered. However, within each species, there are extreme variations that create a whole new species, so to speak._

_Alphabetically, the most known species begins with the centaur, magical horses with the ability to speak in both human and animal tongues. Within this designation exists all land-faring magical animals._

_After the centaur is the empath, a species most easily mistaken for human. Empaths are perhaps the most unique species because they are not only born with their unique brain capacity that allows them to sense emotions, but other than their empathic abilities, everything about them reads human._

_Next are the dominating species of the skies, the Fae. Fae are human-like in appearance naturally, if you discount the birdlike wings protruding from their backs. They have a unique magic that mostly deals with levitation. Any mythical creature with wings generally falls into this category._

_Those of the sea come next, split into many different categories, though we only cover two, the first of which are the mermaids. Mermaids have the upper body appearance of a human and the lower body appearance of a fish. There are no males in this species, forcing them to reproduce with other species. However, they have a deceptively attractive appearance, helped along by their enchantment magic that allows them to control other species, most specifically humans, with their voice._

_The other water-dwelling creature is the naga. Naga are half human, half sea serpent. However, unlike most cross species, they do not resemble humans in their natural state. Rather, they have green, scaled skin and automatically turn into serpents when submerged in water. It is said that sea water in particular makes the transformation easier. Naga have strong elemental magic that can only be used in water._

_Sphinxes are the only land-dwelling magical animals that do not fall under centaurs. The reason for this is because sphinxes have the ability to use Egyptian magic and can change forms at will. Their true form is that of a large feline and this form is especially favorable is the sphinx is injured or sick._

_The next species is perhaps the most unique, simply because anyone could become one. Vampires retain a natural human appearance with pale skin and, when hungry, their eyes turn red. Vampires, as is well known, feed on blood. They have power over those they've bitten, giving them the ability to block memories, but not erase or replace them._

_Werewolves, the next main species, are a genetic species, dominant in mating so that any of their offspring will become werewolves themselves. They transform into a complete wolf at will, although transformation is forceful on the full moon. When attacking, they balance upright on their hind legs, but at all other times, travel on four limbs. They have no known magic._

_The next category can actually apply to any species, they are simply endowed with unique magical abilities. The females are referred to as witches, while the males are called wizards._

Conan finished reading and looked up in surprise to see Kid had rejoined them at the table, sitting right next to him in fact, and had brought Shizuka along with him. Shinichi jerked slightly, his proximity to the thief reminding him once more of his lust for blood. Stubbornly, he bit down on his tongue and tuned into their conversation.

"Attacks have been getting more common as of late." Kid was saying.

Takagi nodded grimly. "At first, the victims were diverse enough that we couldn't tell what the perpetrator was targeting, but now they seemed to have narrowed it down to just non-humans."

"They aren't the only ones attacking." Shizuka continued. "As the attacks continue and rumors grow about our eminent extinction, rouge creatures are turning more and more people. Vampires are the most prominent, simply because of the easy in which we're able to change humans, but other creatures are turning humans in their own ways as well."

"Which certainly doesn't bode well for our continued secrecy. If humans find out we exist…" Akako trailed off, dismally.

Conan listened with a frown. People were attacking non-humans. Well, he'd chosen a helluva time to join those ranks.

His vision blurred suddenly and he let out a strangled gasp. He felt dizzy and strangely weak. What was happening to him?

"Tantei-kun?" He vaguely heard someone ask with concern.

"What's wrong?"

"He's pale…er, more pale than he was before, and he looks kind of sick. I don't think he can hear me either, or he'd be reacting differently."

"Check his pulse." Someone ordered. "Quickly."

He discerned a white blur as Kid shrugged and then soft leather brushed against his neck, two fingers pressing down on his pulse point. "It's weak…almost fluttering. Why?"

"He hasn't had any blood since he's been turned. Well, not really. He may have gotten a few drops from you when he first bit you, but he hasn't gotten enough."

"But…well, I mean, shouldn't the blood he already had have sustained him?"

"For a while. But he's hungry now, his red eyes attest to that. The problem is, he hasn't entirely learned to withhold the venom and at this point, when he's not thinking straight, his first instinct will be to bite and to change."

"You're making it sound as if we're in trouble."

Even without being able to see or hear quite properly, Conan could _feel_ the flat stare directed towards the person next to him.

"Risan!" Shizuka flagged down the barkeep. "Bring a bottle of my special red wine, the most recent year available."

"Wine is a substitute for blood?"

"Of course not. It's bottled blood, fresh if my stock is as good as it's supposed to be."

Blood? Human blood? Conan jerked slightly. No, he didn't want to drink human blood. It was _wrong_! He wouldn't drink it, he wouldn't!

A corked popped and a bottle was pressed to his lips, but he refused to drink. There was a sigh next to him and the gloved hand moved from his neck to his jaw, prying it open, but Conan resisted, pulling back from him.

"You're being suicidal, Tantei-kun." A smooth voice murmured. "You need this blood, you'll die without it." Conan shook his head, trying to dislodge the soft hands. "This is ridiculous, Tantei-kun. _Drink it_." The last words were said forcefully, with a kind of power behind them and before he knew what was happening, he found his mouth open, hungrily drinking up the red liquid.

When he caught up with his actions, he found it hard to stop. He wanted it, wanted it like he'd never wanted anything before, and now that he had it he wasn't going to let it go.

But it was wrong! He shouldn't want this, it was gross, it was unnatural. It was _human blood_ he was drinking, it was just plain wrong.

He forced himself to stop, to choke, anything to make him stop consuming the tasty red liquid.

He squirmed in his seat, gagging, and the bottle was removed. "S-stop. I don't want…don't…" He was shaking violently and his breathing was short and harsh.

"Tantei-kun…" Kid began, trailing off as the force of Conan's glare focused on him, complete with dark crimson eyes.

"I don't want human blood." He snarled and pushed away from the table, marching out of the bar.

Kid looked vaguely guilty. "Should I not have made him drink the blood?" He asked uncertainly.

Shizuka shook her head. "No, he needed that blood. Former humans have these funny ideas about where their blood should come from. I'll go talk with him." She rose gracefully and followed the distraught detective out of the room.

"Arnold, what room has the boy gone to?"

"Ah, Miss Shizuka," The hooded figure said calmly. "He went to room 54. He looked rather distressed when asking for it, too."

"Thank you." She hurried through the back door, reaching the designated room and knocking. "Dear child," she called softly, "do not be angry. The blood is necessary to your survival. He only wanted you to live."

A soft groan came behind the door. "I don't care." She could barely hear him say. "I won't drink human blood. It's _wrong_."

"And what's wrong about it? It's a natural way of life, Child." She sighed. "Do you know how vampires are believed to have come into existence?"

"No," He mumbled through the door, but this time there was a note of curiosity there, a willingness to listen.

"It is believed that they were humans once. There is no direct proof, of course, but our physiologies are so similar that it was a natural conclusion. However, the humans that we would have evolved from would be those with hematophagy, the habit of drinking blood. Eventually, through mutations we assume, our DNA changed, making it so that we could not produce our own blood. Instead, we needed blood from other sources to keep our heart beating. So you see, it's not simply a hunger, that lust for blood you try so hard to hide; it's your bodies way of telling you it needs the blood to keep living. Blood is as vital to you as oxygen is; you cannot live without it."

"But…human blood…and besides, I'm _not_ descended from these vampires. I'm not part of that evolution." Conan whispered.

Shizuka pushed the door gently open. "The poison ruining through your body made you part of the evolution, Child. I've told you that vampire DNA rewrites the human DNA much like a virus' genetic material would. However, because we can't produce our own blood and you inherit the genes that disable us from doing so, you need the blood as much as we do."

Conan was huddled into a ball in the corner behind the door. "I don't care." He whispered. "I don't want to…"

"To be a monster?" She gave a hollow laugh. "That is what mankind sees us as yet, and perhaps that is what you see yourself as, but your race does not determine if you are a monster or not, only your actions."

"Isn't there some alternative?" He asked, burring his face in her neck when she hugged him. "You just say blood is needed, does it have to be human blood?"

She sighed, her breath tickling the skin on the back of his neck. "Former humans have tried using animal blood before. If that is what you wish to do, you may certainly try. However, there are problems with doing such."

"Like what?"

He could feel her lips curve upwards. "Well, let's have you find that out yourself, shall we? You must make your own decisions about what you do, after all."

He nodded, or at least as well as he could in his current position. "How do I – how do I drink blood from an animal? Or from anything for that matter? And…if I were to poison an animal, would it turn into a vampire?"

"That, my young child, is something we could do without discovering. And as for biting…well, you simply incapacitate your prey – or just keep them from struggling if it's consensual – and bite. Your fangs pierce the skin and you lap up the blood. With anything…furry," She wrinkled her nose, apparently disliking the word, "you must beware the blood mixing with the hair. That's one reason I generally prefer non-bearded men myself." She smiled. "Oh, and beware of where you bite. If it's just a little nip, the pulse point on the neck won't hurt, but anything else and you risk killing your prey, crushing the wind pipe or even breaking the neck. If all else fails, the elbows or the wrists are a good point on humans." She explained.

Conan blinked. "Dracula got it all wrong," He murmured.

"Yes, well, things can get confused easily." She laughed. "In any case, you're on your own when it comes to finding four-legged prey. But do try to stay close to here when hunting, just in case anything happens." Conan looked at her and noticed a mysterious twinkle in her eyes. Unable to decipher it, he filed it away for later contemplation. For now, he really rather wanted to _bite_ something and that was a feeling he'd prefer not to have in the general vicinity of humans.

Nodding to her, he pulled away and slipped out of the inn. He didn't know what he was doing really, but he figured he could find a stray cat or something…but what if they were…well, obviously strays weren't the most cleanly animals.

On the other hand, what could he do? It's not like there was a forest near here he could hunt in. But perhaps…maybe a zoo? Or a humane society…although his treatment of them wouldn't be very humane, would it? Their animals would be cleaner than strays, though.

He pulled maps from the dregs of his memory, trying to think of somewhere close to where he was that would have what he was looking for. Aha! Yes, that place would do well. It was a wonder he hadn't thought of it before.

--

Scoffing at the unprotected nature of the local pound, Conan peered inside one of the dirty windows. Seeing no one in the vicinity, he jimmied it open and slipped inside. Judging from the stink coming from his left, the majority of the animals were kept near…and un-bathed as of late.

He crept through the compound slowly, keeping his ears perked for any sign of someone's approach. When he reached the animals, he faltered slightly. Would he really be able to drink the blood of a small, innocent little animal?

He gulped, forcing down his guilt, and decided to bite one of the bigger animals. Besides, the heavier they were, the more blood they had, right? Which meant they'd recover all the faster after he'd drawn some.

He picked a medium-sized husky that looked lazily at him through the bars of its cage. Rather pathetically, he attempted a smile at it and unlatched the cage. The dog didn't jump at him or anything – thank gods for that considering it was nearly as big as he was – but he certainly had its attention now. With small steps, he came closer to it, holding out a hand as if to pet it. Obligingly, it pushed its nose into his hands.

Now, where to bite it? The neck could be dangerous, but elsewhere would put him in range of its fangs when it objected, which it surely would. So…neck it is then?

He gulped and squeezed his eyes shut, burrowing his head into its neck and biting. The animal yelped and attempted to scramble away from him, causing him to pour blood all over his shirt. Fighting it, he managed to restrain it enough to allow him to quickly lap up the blood, grimacing at the coarse feeling of the fur against his tongue.

When he'd had his fill, he quickly left the cage with a comforting pat on the poor animal's head. He felt terrible for doing what he did to it, but it was better than a human…right?

His stomach lurched suddenly and he hurried out of the building, managing to get three blocks away before his lunch found itself on the ground. He swayed, feeling cool hands grasp his shoulders lightly and steady him. "Sh-Shizuka – " He began, but couldn't continue.

Shizuka rubbed his back gently as he heaved all that was left in his stomach. "There, there." She said. "I told you there were certain penalties to drinking animal blood."

"You didn't tell me I'd get so sick!" Conan growled, gasping for air before his wind pipe closed again as he puked.

"Yes, well…I figured you'd understand better if you experienced it for yourself. Besides, would you have listened to me? You were insistent that drinking human blood was wrong. If I told you you'd get sick with anything else, I doubt you would've changed your mind."

"Okay…" Conan stood up shakily, wiping his mouth on his sleeves, which he then realized were covered in the husky's blood. Wrinkling his nose, he pulled off his shirt and held it out like it was something vile…which it kind of was at this point. "So…why did I get so sick?"

"Well, I told you, we drink the blood because we can't produce our own. In effect, the blood we drink goes into our blood streams and keeps our hearts beating – that is why you would've died had Kid not forced you to drink the blood. Drinking animal blood is like getting a transfusion with the wrong blood type, although not as fatal. Your body rejects the blood and you get sick. I suspect you'll be quite weak for a while, as well."

"Oh. Great." Conan muttered, annoyed.

"Just be glad you could sustain yourself until you got out of the pound. The employees probably wouldn't have reacted to kindly to a young boy throwing up in their midst after having attacked a dog." She laughed a light hearted titter.

"That's very comforting." He retorted.

"It should be. Can you imagine having the pound call up your guardians and inform them of what happened?" Conan blanched. "In any case, you should probably head home and get some rest. Let's go back to _Mythical Delight_ and you can get a new shirt. I'll talk to Kid or Takagi and see about one of them walking you home."

"I don't need an escort." He mumbled. "You're always treating me like a child."

She laughed slightly. "Even if you're not as young as you appear, dear, you're still centuries younger than I am. Now, come. It's unsightly to go around without a shirt on, even if you are seen as a child." He grumbled under his breath, but didn't resist as she led him back to the inn.

"What now?" Conan asked quietly.

"Hmm?"

"Do I…have to drink human blood to survive?"

"Yes, you do. And I need to teach you to control your venom. We can't have you turning your prey into vampires, now can we?"

"V-venom?" Conan's eyes went wide. "The dog!? D-did I turn a _dog_ into a _vampire_!? But, I asked you before and you said – !"

Shizuka laughed. "No, no, calm down. Our venom doesn't generally change other creatures."

"Generally?"

"Well, the venom invades the blood stream and, rather like a virus, infects the cells and changes them. However, the venom is only really compatible with those who have a similar physiology to our own. There have been some strange cases in history, but you know what they say, there are exceptions to every rule." She giggled softly.

"That…doesn't really answer my question." Conan sighed. "How long will it take me to learn to control the venom?"

"That depends on how hard you try. Until you have complete control, it would be best if you drank only the wine from my personal stash, that way we don't worry about accidently recruit someone into the bloodsucking ranks."

--

**Sorry for the wait. I've actually had this typed up for a while, but I couldn't decide if I wanted to add more to it.**


End file.
